An Inevitable Collision
by MayFairy
Summary: The romance between the two kidnapped teachers who first taught the Doctor about compassion was a thing obvious to everyone but themselves. But Ian and Barbara were always going to figure it out...eventually. Ian/Barbara. Kiriban for Mrs. 11th.


**2 months, and 15 days...that's how long this has taken me to write. In my defence, however, it is about 19,300 words. And when you look at it that way...well, it's a lot quicker than a lot of my DS updates. :P And I did have a few weeks where I did just get writer's block on this. **

**So here it is, the story everyone has kind of been waiting for, for some reason or another. Whether because they want to read it, or whether they simply want it to be done so that I'll go back to my other stories, everyone is probably relieved to see this up for one reason or another. I know that I'm so glad to have it finished...though at the same time, I will miss it. Still, I have the Barbara drabble for my Passengers in the Fourth Dimension fic to go, and I can always write some little one-shots for these two if I feel the need. :P **

**This story, all 19,300 words of it is dedicated to Mrs. 11th, who is the most wonderfully wonderful and awesome person in the universe. She's the nicest person, is always there to encourage me whenever I'm not sure of myself, fangirls at the appropriate times, and is just generally all one could hope for in a reviewer and fanfiction friend. **

**Though don't get me wrong, there are quite a few of my readers who are also just as awesome...but Mrs. 11th was the 100th reviewer on my Romana returns story, 'Open Your Eyes', which means that she gets the kiriban. You know how it works, people! **

_**Now, about the actual fic...**_

_**It's Ian/Barbara, obviously, and covers from the beginning scene of 'An Unearthly Child', through to a point in their future that I felt was a good place to draw it to a close. There are scenes from and built around episodes, so if you're ever confused about anything, look up the serial in the Doctor Who wiki/TARDIS index file to find whatever information you might need. **_

_**While it starts off more from Ian's point of view, Barbara takes over more of it later on due to her being easier to write and decipher than Ian. Also, there are a few snippets of Vicki and the Doctor being all sly and matchmakerish. :P **_

_**Now, due to how long this took me to write, how much other stuff it held up, and how much work I put into it, I'm going to make a request, particularly of my regulars. With the story being so long, all the details you may want to comment on are likely going to slip away by the time you get to the end. And, you know, long story = long review. Or, it would nice if it did, anyway. So, perhaps if you opened the review box before starting, and then you will be able to comment as you go, therefore not forgetting any precious detail that would make a difference to my day. :) **_

**Enjoy! **

**p.s. and it is long, so don't try and read it in a rush. **

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><p>Ian was busily tidying everything up after his last class of the day, when he heard the door open and turned to see the History teacher, Miss Barbara Wright, a good friend of his, come through the door.<p>

Being the two youngest teachers at Coalhill School meant that the two of them had quickly become friends when Ian had first arrived at the school a year previously. And, if he was perfectly honest with himself…he had – for want of a better word, he didn't like sounding like a schoolboy – a bit of a crush on Miss Wright. After all, she carried herself well, and was beautiful in a regal way with her strong nose and brow, and she was very intelligent. He had taken to offering her rides home recently, and she had accepted. Still, he daren't do anything bolder for quite some time.

"Not gone yet?" He asked, and she didn't smile, merely continued on to the blackboard.

"Obviously not." She replied almost bluntly.

He didn't look up, merely smiled a little. "Ask a silly question."

Her own smile formed a little as she realised what she had said before. "I'm sorry."

"It's alright, I'll forgive you this time." He joked, and she sat down at the desk, looking tired.

"Oh, I've had a terrible day, I don't know what to make of it." Barbara sighed, looking almost defeated, a first for her, at least from what he had seen.

"Oh? What's the trouble, can I help?" He tried not to sound too eager, but most of it was more to his curiosity over what could shake her rather than his wanting to get close to her. He thought that his voice came across sounding very casual, and felt pleased.

"Oh, it's one of the girls, Susan Foreman." The moment he heard the name, his mind jumped as he realised he knew exactly which girl she was referring to, and that he also had problems with her. What an interesting coincidence…though, as he thought about the girl in question, it was hardly a coincidence at all, the girl was naturally going to be very much the same in a subject like history.

He looked up, eyebrows raised as he fought a strange urge to laugh. "Susan Foreman?" He gave a small chuckle. "O ho, is she your problem too?"

"Yes."

"And you don't know what to make of her."

"No."

"How old is she, Barbara?"

"Fifteen."

He frowned. "Fifteen...she lets her knowledge out a bit at a time, so as not to embarrass me: that's what I feel about her. She knows more science than I'll ever know. She's a genius! Is that what she's doing with history?"

Barbara rolled her eyes, grinning exasperatedly. "Something like that."

They went on to discuss how the girl wasn't doing her homework recently, and that Barbara had tried to take it up with her grandfather – a doctor – to take some interest in her, only to find that there was no residence at the address given to her by the secretary.

"Well, the secretary must have got it wrong, then," Ian told her simply.

"No," She said as she spoke with absolute certainty, "I checked. There's a big wall on one side, houses on the other, and nothing in the middle. And this 'nothing in the middle' is No. 76 Totters Lane!"

Ian frowned, his curiosity stirring inside him. "Mmm…that's a bit of mystery. Well, there must be a simple answer somewhere."

"Well, what?" Barbara looked at him expectantly.

Ian just grinned at her. "Well, we'll have to find out for ourselves, won't we?"

Barbara matched his grin, relief obvious in her eyes. "Thank you for the 'we'. She's waiting in one of the classrooms. I'm lending her a book on the French Revolution."

Ian chuckled, thinking of the possibilities. "What's she going to do - rewrite it?"

Barbara rolled her eyes, and both of them began heading to the door, and Ian grabbed his coat on the way.

"Oh, all right! What do we do? Ask her point blank?" He asked, unsure.

"No. I thought we could drive there, wait 'till she arrives and see where she goes." Barbara replied sensibly, and he nodded as he pulled his coat on.

"Oh...all right."

An idea seemed to occur to Barbara, and she quickly said, "Well, that is, if you're not doing anything."

Ian was not, and between figuring out what was off about the mysterious girl, and spending more time with Barbara, he was never going to refuse. "No, I'm not." He opened the door for her. "After you..."

Little did they know that their mild curiosity would change their lives completely, and take them on a journey of a lifetime.

* * *

><p>This 'Doctor' certainly had some nerve; after blatantly kidnapping them, and getting them into trouble with cavemen which had nearly resulted in all of their deaths, the old man simply admitted that he was not able to take Ian and Barbara home due to not being able to control where the ship landed. They were stuck, on a time machine with two strangers who were not human. What had they gotten themselves into this time?<p>

Their feelings of unease did not get any better after meeting the Daleks. Not only was the Doctor bad tempered, but he was so determined to get his own way that he pretended one of the TARDIS' fluid links was out of Mercury, forcing them to go into the city to look for it. And look at where that had gotten them; at the mercy of a horrible race of creatures called the Daleks, who had killed many of the allies they later found, the Thals, and had only just been stopped.

But the tension between the Earthlings and Time Travellers had only gotten thicker with their adventure, and once back in the TARDIS, strange things began occurring, and the Doctor turned on them by accusing them of sabotage. Ian and Barbara were both affronted, and relied on each other in those minutes when trust was completely eliminated in the group. But the danger was overcome, and suddenly the dynamic of the group had changed. They were no longer simply people who had been thrust together with no choice, but people who could trust each other, and almost consider to be each other's friends. It was with this new trust that they set out into their new destination, a place full of snow, and sporting a large footprint in the snow, and led to their meeting the famous Marco Polo.

* * *

><p>They were on Marinus, having been recruited by The Keeper of the Conscience to retrieve the Keys of Marinus from all over the planet so as to stop the sinister Voords from taking over. Having arrived at the first destination that they had been sent to, and separated from Barbara due to her premature departure, Ian was remarkably glad to enter the room which they had arrived outside and find Barbara. He was been struck by the sight of her, dressed like an Empress and lounging on the long cushioned chair, with girls waiting on her. It had all straightened out, of course, and, like she claimed, there was a young man who seemed to run the place, and went about offering them whatever they wanted, as it was a place of luxury.<p>

"You have no wish? No great desire?" The man asked them, and Ian reflexively flicked his eyes to Barbara, who in those moments looked so beautiful, and so at peace, that for a second in his mind, he thought that he should wish for a way to woo her. Another half-second reminded him how impossible the thought was, but he still shook his head and wondered how he could be such a fool to think such a thing for even such a brief time.

* * *

><p>The whole of Millennius had turned against him…and now he was waiting to be executed for a murder he didn't commit, but even the Doctor's hard work and often undisputable logic had failed. Now there was just a ticking clock, and far too much time to think. If only they hadn't been sent on this stupid quest for the Keys…but then again, they had had little choice in the matter. But it was still an irritating thought for a man with limited time life alive.<p>

Was this how it was all going to end? Framed and killed? Dying on some strange alien planet, millions of miles from home, with only one link to his own world?

There were so many things he had wanted to do, so many things left unsaid…most of them involving that one link to his world, the one person who had been with him through his and completely understood what it was he was going through over these weeks they had been in the TARDIS, because she was going through the same thing.

Barbara.

The thought of her brought a small smile to his face despite everything. Gentle, strong, smart, caring, sensible Barbara. He was sure that he could probably make that list go on for much longer than that. Did he love her? He wasn't sure. But there were feelings there: admiration, attraction, friendship….he cared, and definitely felt for her something more than friendship. Was it love? He would probably never know.

But if he were to get out alive, he would was determined to make sure that he find out.

And eventually, he did.

* * *

><p>Ian sat in the TARDIS, wandering the corridors after being told by the Doctor that the TARDIS would have found a bedroom for him by now. And finally, he found a door with his name on it, which he then pushed open. It was a fine room, furnished in a way that helped curb his homesickness a little, and he smiled.<p>

But despite the room, he couldn't stop thinking about Barbara.

He wasn't sure when it had been that he realised, realised with utter certainty that he was in love with her…until suddenly he remembered.

It had been only hours ago, in Aztec Mexico, and Barbara was thought to be the reincarnation of a god. Perhaps from some people's point of view, such as the Doctor's, it had been far from her finest moment. But she had stood there, in an intricate headdress and fine robe, keeping up the pretence because not doing so would mean death as a false deity, and she had dealt with it. But there was nothing false about it; she was a woman, a schoolteacher from London, who was suddenly trying to save an entire civilisation. By stopping human sacrifice, as she was trying to do, the Aztecs would not be destroyed by the Spaniards if the Spaniards had a chance to see the good as well as the bad things about the Aztecs. And whatever the Doctor said, Ian had felt the need to admire her for trying. And he had watched her, in a moment when she realised just how hard her task was, he saw her on the verge of tears, headdress pulled off and hair rumpled. And he had known then that this strong, determined, but plainly human woman, had unknowingly stolen his heart completely.

Just as he came to this conclusion, he heard a noise and turned to see a door in his room that he hadn't noticed. It opened to reveal Barbara, who seemed both amused and strangely worried.

"Our rooms are adjoining," She explained, and he nodded.

"Maybe the Doctor thinks that you're going to get nightmares, and that you'll need my impressive comforting skills," He joked, and she rolled her eyes.

"Or perhaps it will be your nightmares, and my comforting skills!" Barbara retorted, and he shrugged.

"We'll have to see," He said eventually, then realised that she seemed troubled, her brow furrowed as she nervously looked at the floor. "What's wrong?"

She bit her lip, clearly searching for the right words. "Oh, I'm probably just being silly, Ian, it's just…" She looked at him abruptly, "Don't you think it's a little improper? That our rooms are connected?"

"Well…I hadn't really thought about it like that…but who's to judge? There's no one here except for us, the Doctor and Susan." She didn't look convinced. "Now, Barbara, this is me and you, we're hardly going to be doing anything improper, now, are we?"

Her face flushed a little as she quickly shook her head, eyes lifting to smile at him with new confidence. "No, of course, you're right. I'm just being silly. I keep forgetting that there aren't any batty old women watching us. We're mature adults."

Ian smiled and patted her on the shoulder comfortingly. "Exactly, Barbara. Now, I think it's time that both of us got changed, don't you?" She nodded and retreated back into her own room, closing the door behind her.

That should have been the end of it, only then Ian caught himself speculating about what Barbara was doing behind the wall, and when he realised what he was doing, he became angry and disgusted with himself. He had no right to think about her like that, or anyone like that. He irritably kicked off his shoes, and began to undress, doing his best to not imagine Barbara doing the same in the next room.

* * *

><p>The four time travellers sat in the console room, all incredibly glad to have escaped the Reign of Terror with their lives, despite numerous close calls. Ian found himself watching Barbara, and noticing how pretty she looked in the plain yet flattering dress she wore. He surprised however, when she spoke up.<p>

"Doctor, I'll be retiring to my room now, I think," She said graciously, and got up from the chair she was sitting in.

"Very well, my dear," The Doctor answered offhandedly, more interested in his controls. Ian also got up, and made to follow her.

"Wait, Barbara, I'll come with you," He said quickly, and she smiled at him widely as they fell into step together and left the console room. "Did you enjoy that trip, then?"

Barbara looked content, warmly smiling as her eyes looked up at him, "Ooh, yes, it was wonderful, despite the danger…I've spent my whole life studying history, and now I get to really experience it. Sometimes I think that I must be the luckiest woman in the universe."

"I feel the same way whenever I see new technology, new science that I could never have dreamed of…perhaps we are the luckiest humans in the universe." He returned her smile, and she nodded.

"Perhaps," She said passively.

Barbara felt as though their walk to their rooms was taking considerably longer than times in the past. But she didn't really mind; any chance to spend more time alone with Ian was always welcome.

"So, what are you planning on doing now, then?" He asked, and she shrugged, fingering the fabric of her skirts.

"Oh, probably just get changed out of this dress, I expect," She said, looking down at it. She watched something that looked like disappointment flash across his eyes for less than half of a second.

"Seems a shame," He replied, to which she frowned in confusion.

"Why?"

"Well, you just look very pretty in it, that's all," He said conversationally, and she felt her eyebrows rise in surprise, as well as a slightly warm feeling in her heart that she could not quite account for.

"Really?" She asked, eyeing the dress with new curiosity before looking at his own period attire and smiling slightly. "Well, while we're on the subject, I think you look rather dashing in that shirt."

"Alright, I won't change if you don't," He offered with a teasing smile, and she shrugged.

"Deal," She said cheekily, and held out her hand to him, "Why don't we look around the ship a bit more…we haven't really had a chance to yet."

"That's true…" He tilted his head as he considered it, then grinned at her in a way that made her stomach do an unexpected backflip. What was wrong with her? She was a grown woman, a man's smile shouldn't make her so giddy…but this wasn't just a man, this was Ian Chesterton. "Alright then, let's see what other tricks the Doctor has got stored away in here." They walked through the white corridors, both of them noticing that the other had not said or done anything about their still joined hands, but not wanting to mention it themselves.

They came through a set of grand double doors into an enormous room full to the brim with books.

"Well, I do think that this must be a library," Ian said in surprise as he looked around, letting go of her hand to examine the nearest shelf of books. Barbara frowned at the loss but followed him. "I wonder where he got all of these books from."

"All around the universe, I expect," Barbara offered, pulling out a book and turning it over in her hands. "Though I've no idea why this 'Justin Bieber' person is so famous…he doesn't look particularly skilled." She frowned with distaste and quickly replaced the autobiography.

"Still, you have to admire the Doctor…this is quite a collection he has here. And you know, with us in these clothes, this place really could be an old Victorian masterpiece of a library." Ian said, looking around just in time to see Barbara trying to hide a large yawn. "You know, I think it's time that we both got some sleep. You look as exhausted as I feel." Barbara looked a little guilty, and smiled as the two of them began to walk out of the library.

"Caught in the act," She joked, and he laughed. "No, I'm exhausted after everything that happened in France. I think I would just like to sleep for several days."

"I know that feeling," Ian agreed, "We've all been through the wars lately. You know, I do believe that this is the first time we've gotten a proper rest since all of this started!"

"You know, I think you're right," Barbara realised in surprise, "Every time we managed to actually get back to the TARDIS, something else came up before we knew it."

"All the more reason to enjoy it now while we can."

"Exactly. I can't wait to actually sleep in a bed," Barbara sighed at the thought, and realised that they were in front of her bedroom door, and a few feet from his. "Well, goodnight, Ian. I'll see you in the morning."

"If there can be a morning on a spaceship time machine," He replied dryly, and she just smiled tiredly before going into her room. He followed suit through his own door, and found a pair of flannel pyjamas in the set of drawers in his room, which he was about to put on when he heard a scream of frustration coming from Barbara's room. Concerned, he went to the door between their rooms and called through it. "Everything alright, Barbara?"

"Fine, it's fine," Came the slightly forced reply, and he shrugged to himself. But another infuriated noise came from her before he heard her bedroom door slam. Ian frowned to himself but got changed regardless, and got into his bed, waiting to hear the sound of her return, needing to know that she was okay before he went to sleep.

After all, friends had to watch out for each other, right?

Five minutes later, her bedroom was opening again, then shut with an equal force to the first time. He listened intently, and heard another scream of annoyance through the wall, then silence. Then came a whisper through the adjoining door.

"Psst…" Barbara's voice said, "Ian, are you there?" He quickly got out of bed and went to the door, leaning his head against it.

"Yes, I'm here. Are you okay?" He asked worriedly through the door, and he heard her sigh with relief on the other side.

"Well…it's just…I need your help, Ian, and I hate to ask, but I can't find Susan, this ship is just too big!" She said, and he was bewildered when he cottoned on to the fact that she was nervous, though about what, was the question.

"I see…can I come in?" Ian's question was met with a brief silence before the door slid open to reveal a slightly dishevelled Barbara, looking somewhat embarrassed. "Now, what's the problem?"

Barbara shot a glance at him before beginning to pace slightly. "Oh, it's so silly, but it's my dress, I can't reach all of the buttons, and I would just sleep in it, only it digs in so, I would be bleeding by morning, and that's just ridiculous. But I can't find Susan, and I know that it's wrong for me to ask you, but you're the only one I can find, and I can't get out of this dress by myself." She looked at him worriedly, her large, intelligent eyes pouring into his, and what she wanted of him suddenly hit him. Something began to stir in his stomach. Would it be rather inapproriate for him to help her unbutton her dress? Undoubtedly. Did he have a choice? Not really. Was he probably going to enjoy it a little too much? Definitely.

"So…do you need me to undo all the ones that still need to be undone? I can see that you've made a start." Ian tried to keep his voice even, he could see that she was already massively uncomfortable. She nodded slowly, and turned away from him so as to give him access to the buttons of her dress. He took a step forward and began undoing the long line of buttons that went down her spine. Despite an overwhelming and incredibly detestable urge to take a very long time doing so, he made sure to use feather light touches and to work as quickly as he could, trying to ignore the sliver of bare back that was steadily growing with each button that was released. After what seemed like a rushed eternity, he quickly stepped back, and she abruptly turned to face him, hiding the back of her dress from him, cheeks pink and eyes grateful but clearly embarrassed out of her mind.

"Thank you, Ian," She murmured, pointedly looking away from him, "Good night."

"Good night, Barbara," He replied before slipping back into his room, "May you have sweet dreams." He closed the door behind him.

Ian slipped back into his bed and tried not to over think about the incredibly indecorous encounter that had just happened between him and Barbara. It was never going to happen again.

* * *

><p>Barbara slowly turned her back on Ian, and felt him approach her slowly, unsurely. She bit her lip as she felt his fingers tugging gently on the fabric and popping the first button open at an admirable speed. She tried not to think about the fact that the tips of his warm fingers kept briefly brushing her back, and found herself closing her eyes, revelling in the feeling, despite a nagging voice in her head telling her that it was wrong to enjoy such a thing.<p>

Suddenly, his hands were gone and she realised that he was done. Feeling how much of her back was showing, she quickly turned around so that he couldn't see it.

"Thank you, Ian," Barbara tried not to show how mortified she was to have asked such a thing from him, "Good night."

"Good night, Barbara." She watched him go before dropping her mask and letting her face fall completely. She quickly threw off the dress and draped it over a chair before pulling a nightie out of her drawers and putting it on. She climbed back into her bed, rested her head of dark hair on the pillow, and thought about Ian.

She definitely felt something for him that was more than just friendship…something that had been evident in the last couple of minutes, with the tension so thick that a knife would have had trouble cutting through it. But what bothered her was how much she enjoyed each one of the light touches from him, and she found herself wondering whether he would think badly of her, with her having no indication of his own feelings towards her.

She didn't have the right to think about him like that! They were friends, colleagues, and fellow travellers, that was all, anything more would simply be inappropriate. And that was when that dirty feeling of guilt began to creep up on her. She hugged her pillow tightly and did her best to ignore it as she attempted to fall asleep.

* * *

><p>Barbara, having narrowly avoided death after being poisoned by the seed in the laboratory they had just escaped from, let Ian help her walk through the corridors, in the direction of the shower, as they were all dirty, something that came with running around a garden while only an inch high. As the Doctor had put it, 'You all go and get yourselves cleaned up.'<p>

However, Ian was being strangely quiet, and it wasn't until she looked at Ian's face that the reason for his silence hit her.

"You're mad at me," She said with surprise, looking up at him with wide, confused eyes.

"What gives you that idea?" He replied offhandedly, but his eyes pointedly looked away from her in manner that confirmed her words.

"I can just…sense it. But whatever for?" She pressed him, and suddenly he turned to face her, eyes narrowed as his hands firmly clasped her arms.

"For not telling me sooner about touching the seeds!" Ian nearly shouted, and she flinched slightly. "It was stupidly dangerous of you, and you nearly died because of it."

"I'm sorry, we were busy, and I-" Barbara began, but he cut her off angrily.

"No, don't start, there is not an excuse that will justify the risk that you took today," The man said seriously, staring at her with an emotion that she didn't recognise in his eyes. "Do you have any idea what you put me through? What I would do if you died? How important you are to me, Barbara?"

Barbara froze, heart skipping a beat for a second. Could it be possible that he returned her feelings?

One of his hands went up her arm slowly to cup her face, his eyes intently gazing into hers. She became aware of how much closer he was, and felt her face become very hot and probably very red. She tried to get words to come out of her mouth.

"It's not all about you, Ian…" Her attempt trailed off as she once again met his eyes and became lost in the intensity of his gaze.

"Barbara…" He whispered firmly, his breath ghosting over her lips, "Promise me that an intelligent woman like you will never take a risk like that again." Barbara blinked, but gave a small nod.

"I promise…" She looked up at him, biting her lip and trying to hide the emotion in her eyes. "Ian- " Something flashed in his eyes when he heard her say his name, and he deliberately leaned closer, slowly enough so as to give her time to pull away, but not slowly enough for either of them to be able to properly think about it. When she didn't make any move to stop him, he pressed his lips to hers, kissing her because in that moment he was still so desperate and angry after coming so close to losing her, that he knew he had to do _something_.

She kissed him back, her hand sliding up his chest to hold his neck while her other hand came to rest on the hand that belonged to him and was currently resting on her cheek. They stayed like that, their kissing the only movement and sound between them as they clung to each other for several minutes, lips joined with a passion that had been building up for a long time.

Then, abruptly, Ian pulled away, a strange expression on his face, and he quickly began to walk away, entering his bedroom while Barbara stared after him, her slightly swollen lips still partially parted in confusion.

She stood there for several moments, looking at the door he had gone through, before shakily – after all, she wasn't _completely _recovered from the poisoning – walking to the TARDIS shower, deciding that it was probably best to forget what had just happened.

But how could she?

* * *

><p>Ian paced his bedroom, furious with himself for doing something so uncalled for and improper. And yet…she had unmistakably kissed him back…did it mean that she felt something for him just as he did for her?<p>

He frowned. He was from the 1960's, kissing was hardly a crime, only that kiss had had a rather obvious underlying intent, and doing _that _with Barbara was certainly not at all appropriate. They were colleagues, friends, fellow travellers…but more than that?

The future remained hard to foresee, and he sighed before sitting on his bed dejectedly. This infatuation with Barbara had to stop.

* * *

><p>They didn't see each other for hours, and both of them heard the Doctor calling them, so the first time that they saw each other after what had happened between them, the Doctor and Susan were present, and they snapped back to how they had always been, friendly and comfortable with each other, with no mention of any change as the four of them stepped out of the TARDIS into a seemingly apocalyptic world, which they learned was London in the 22nd century.<p>

After all, they were hardly going have _that _conversation with the Doctor or Susan present!

* * *

><p>Ian and Barbara watched and listened silently, hearing Susan's frantic voice pleading with her grandfather to be let inside, but he refused, knowing that she was in love with David, the freedom fighter they had met while fighting the Daleks, and knowing that she would never be able to choose. So he was making the decision for her, and Barbara felt as though her heart might break as the Doctor talked, consoling his granddaughter before taking off and leaving her behind.<p>

She could feel that Ian was also silently staring, and she flinched when the Doctor turned on both of them.

"What are you two staring at?" He barked, "Run along, both of you." They ducked their heads like schoolchildren and made a hasty exit of the console room.

Barbara and Ian idly talked of matters back on 22nd century Earth, and how they thought the rebuild of London would be going, until they reached Ian's bedroom door and stopped outside.

"Well, I think I'm going to get changed," He said to her, and slipped through the door. She went into her own bedroom and did the same before leaving and heading off to attempt to find the library again. She was successful, and was curled up on one of the many couches with an incredibly interesting book called 'Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone', that would not be published for some thirty years, but she was two chapters in and enjoying it immensely. However, her thoughts eventually turned to Susan, and she found herself putting the book down and becoming deep in thought about the girl who had left them.

Barbara heard the door open, and looked over the couch to see Ian entering. He came to sit next to her, and shot her a thoughtful look.

"You alright?" He asked, and she shrugged, staring ahead.

"I don't know…I suppose so, it was just so sudden." Barbara said unsurely, looking at him. "It feels so strange without her…I thought she and the Doctor were inseparable."

Ian sighed. "So did I…but apparently not. We've been travelling together for a long time now, it's bound to feel strange without her for a while. I'm sure we'll get over it, I'm just not sure that he will."

"I don't imagine the Doctor has any intention of letting us see how he really feels about all this," Barbara speculated, and subconsciously leaned on Ian's shoulder. "Oh, Ian, I just don't know what to make of our situation sometimes! Just when I think I understand what's going on, something like this happens and I feel nearly as confused as when I first came into the TARDIS, back in that junkyard."

"I know the feeling," He chuckled, "Between this ship, the Doctor, and the entire universe, I think we're doomed to always be surprised at what life throws at us."

"I'm going to miss her, Ian," Barbara said quietly with a sigh, and he looked down to where she was leaning on his shoulder, and he snaked an arm around her, his hand gently stroking her hair in what he hoped was a comforting way.

"I'm going to miss her too," He told her as his other hand entwined with hers, and she looked up at him with tenderness in her eyes.

"Ian…" She murmured, gazing at him, "If I asked something of you, would you do it?"

Ian felt himself become slightly worried for a second or two, his mind running away. Was she hurt? Or in trouble?

"Of course…what did you have in mind?" He said with immediate agreement.

Barbara gave a small sigh and closed her eyes for a brief moment as she gathered her courage before locking eyes with him. "Kiss me again," She whispered.

Ian's eyes widened in surprise, but he made sure that he didn't freeze up too much. "Do you want me to?"

Barbara gave a small laugh as her mouth stretched into a broad smile. "Yes."

Ian grinned back at her before pulling her chin to face him, and kissing her gently, tentatively, and felt her hand rise to touch his face. Their lips parted briefly and Barbara took it as a chance to say something.

"Why would I ask if I didn't want it?" He smirked and kissed her again before replying.

"Ask a silly question," He chuckled at how he was mimicking the words that he had said back before any of this had started. But then he stared at her for too long, and he was kissing her again. Her lips worked against him, letting him have only a small role of dominance, determined to prove that she was a match for him, which she undoubtedly was.

The kiss was no longer in any way gentle or tentative, but passionate and almost forceful, and a small part of Barbara's mind began to worry about how far it would go, and whether she wanted it to go further at that moment. However, this problem was solved when they pulled away for breath.

She leaned her forehead against his, breathing ragged, her breath hitting his chin and lips while his got her cheek. There was a strange finality around them, and both slowly leaned away, still staring at the other.

Despite the urge to cling to him, Barbara knew that she was tired and that any conversation would have to wait until morning. "I think I'm going to go to bed," Barbara said with a smile that Ian did not understand, and when she made to leave, he got up with an air of indignance.

"Wait, Barbara-" He began, but she laughed and held her hand out to him, which he hesitantly took.

"I'm not running away from you, Ian," She assured him quickly, smiling, "But we're both tired, and need to go to our rooms and sleep. Don't you agree?"

"That's not – never mind," He stopped in the middle of what he had been about to say and conceded to her point for the moment. They walked along the corridor before coming to their rooms. "Goodnight," He said sincerely, but entered his room abruptly and with a slight air of indifference that made Barbara frown slightly before opening the door to her own room.

But they never got a chance to talk about it in the morning; the TARDIS began to malfunction and the Doctor had to be woken up from where he was napping in the console room. It had led to a brief entanglement with a 25th century murderer, an entanglement which led to the Doctor inviting a new traveller into the TARDIS; an orphan named Vicki who had been manipulated by the murderer they had rescued her from. And through all of it, Ian and Barbara still hadn't found time to talk about their somewhat puzzling relationship, as they were not again alone for quite some time, and by then it had left the forefront of their minds.

* * *

><p>The TARDIS wheezed as it landed, and Barbara found herself watching Vicki, their new crew member, to see how the girl was coping, but the young adolescent was grinning as she clung to the console. However, once the TARDIS landed, it continued to sway, and the four of them flailed until the whole ship fell sideways, and they crashed to the floor.<p>

"Does that usually happen?" Vicki asked, not bothered, just curious.

"Oh, sometimes, my child, sometimes!" The Doctor assured her, not worried as she helped him up.

"It's a first for us," Ian put in, but the Doctor ignored him.

"Now, my child, would you like to take a look outside?" The old man was saying, and the girl nodded excitedly as they both carefully walked across the sloping floor to get to the door.

"You know," Ian said to Barbara as they followed, "I've a feeling that they are going to be thick as thieves, those two."

"I know what you mean," Barbara agreed.

* * *

><p>The TARDIS had landed in village some way away from Rome, and the four of them found a villa, where the owner was away in Gaul, and quickly settled themselves there.<p>

"Now," The Doctor said grandly, taking charge, "There are two bedrooms, one with a bed for two, and one with two beds for one. Hence, Chatterton and Miss Wright shall have the former, and Vicki and I shall take the latter."

Ian and Barbara both wore expressions of shocked disbelief, and Ian immediately spoke up with his protest. "Now see here, Doctor," He said firmly, shooting a glance at Barbara, "I hardly think that it's appropriate, having Barbara and I not only in the same room, but the same bed! It's preposterous."

Vicki raised an eyebrow, and interrupted, "But I thought the two of you were…" Her eyes widened as she realised her mistake, and quickly added, "Never mind."

Ian and Barbara shared a confused look while the Doctor bristled, holding his coat lapels.

"Very well, Chesterton, Barbara and Vicki shall have the twin bed, and you and I shall share the other room. Is that to your satisfaction?" The old man said seriously, not being bothered by the failure of his attempt at a sly plan of matchmaking. Ian nodded.

* * *

><p>However that night, Vicki found herself having trouble sleeping and went out into the villa's garden, where she was startled to find the Doctor sitting on the stone bench and eyeing his surroundings contemplatively.<p>

"Doctor?" She asked in surprise, her bare feet padding on the grass as she wrapped her robe around her due to the cold wind. He turned to look at her, and while clearly not expecting to see her there, he smiled at her and patted the spot next to him regardless.

"Hello, my child, sit down, if you will," He said, and she smiled at him and did so, and felt his grandfatherly gaze fall on her with a strangely warm smile, "Now, I assume that due to your being here, that you had difficulties sleeping?"

Vicki looked at the ground. "Well, whenever I'm at a new place, I can never sleep the first night…and I'm usually a very light sleeper anyway, which is useful, because I can usually get more done."

"Get more of what done? Whatever do you mean?" He said almost gruffly, and she shrugged.

"More of anything, really," She said with a blasé tone, "For instance, having this conversation with you, something I wouldn't have been able to do had I been sleeping!"

The Doctor gave an approving chuckle at her words. "You know, I do believe that you and I shall get along very well…yes, I think we shall." Vicki grinned happily and looked at her hands for several moments before a thought occurred to her.

"Doctor…Ian and Barbara, are they…well, you know…" The Doctor raised an eyebrow until her meaning hit him.

"Oh, unfortunately, my child, I must answer in the negative, though I daresay you saw my attempt at pushing them together earlier? It is obvious to everyone but themselves, I'm afraid to say." The Doctor sighed good-naturedly.

"Your…" Vicki looked confused for a moment, then her eyes lit up. "Oh, Doctor, you sly thing, trying to put them in the same bedroom!"

The Doctor huffed and got a little defensive, grabbing his lapels again as he so often did when he felt the need to be important and stuffy. "My dear, one can only take so much blind ignorance before one must attempt to take matters into his own hands and hurry things along."

"Surely they're not _that _oblivious…" Vicki said, torn between disbelief and the urge to laugh, and the Doctor chuckled.

"You would be surprised! Oh, but you will see, my dear, very soon, I should think!" He assured her, and their laughter rang through the clear night, two kindred souls on a new adventure.

* * *

><p>Ian was woken from his peaceful sleep by the sound of a familiar scream of terror, and he flew out of bed and rushed into the other bedroom, where he saw Barbara sitting up in bed, hair unkempt and face as pale as a ghost's.<p>

"Barbara, are you alright?" He asked urgently, taking another step in from the doorway, and her eyes flew to him, still wide and slightly frightened for a moment before they relaxed into tiredness.

"Oh, Ian…I'm sorry if I woke you, I just-"

"Don't apologise!" He said, and became closer. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, it's nothing, only that I was having the most terrifying dream," She sighed, running a hand through her short hair.

"What was the dream about?"

Barbara bit her lip and paused before answering, but closed her eyes. "The Daleks. And it was so horrible and vivid…and then I woke up, and Vicki wasn't there, and I just panicked."

"Vicki mentioned to me that she was a light sleeper," Ian put in, and Barbara blinked, then looked embarrassed.

"It was always going to be something simple," She said quietly, "Oh, I feel so silly now." Ian came and sat on the end of the bed, and looked into her eyes, holding her gaze.

"Barbara, it's not silly. Daleks are the most terrifying creatures any of us have ever met, and they have done so many terrible things, which we have witnessed first-hand. Frankly, I would be more worried if you weren't scared of them! I know that I am." He said calmly, and she nodded slowly, but still felt stupid regardless. "Now, I suggest that you try and get back to sleep."

"Yes, you're right," She smiled unsurely and watched him with troubled eyes as he got up and made to leave.

"Sweet dreams, Barbara," He said, and she felt words in her throat that were trying to get out. Giving in to the urge inside her, she said his name, then blurted out two words that she probably shouldn't have.

"Ian." He turned around, eyes full of questioning, and she nearly lost her nerve, but fought the instinct to swallow her words. "Please stay."

Ian froze, his mind reeling with thoughts brought on by her words, and she quickly kept talking.

"It's just, if you were to be here, I don't think the dreams would come back. I don't want to be alone." Barbara said, and Ian felt that one look from her beautifully dark eyes penetrate his very heart.

"Of course I'll stay," Ian said, unable to turn down a chance to make her happier, though trying to not think about certain implications it may have. Despite no words being said, both linked what was happening at that moment back to the two times that they had kissed, yet still, both were too nervous to bring it up.

Barbara pulled the covers back and let him – in his tunic – climb into the bed next to her. She shot him a grateful smile. "Thank you, Ian." She didn't have to say any more than that, the way her eyes spoke the words was more than enough. He gave a small nod, and both lowered themselves to the pillows, though Ian was very sure to deliberately put a lot of space between himself and Barbara despite the almost overwhelming urge to wrap his arms around her.

"Good night, Barbara," He said quietly, and she simply smiled at him before turning away from him and trying to go back to sleep.

* * *

><p>The Doctor and Vicki, after over an hour of talking in the garden, made their way back into the house. However, they were surprised to open the door to Vicki's bedroom to see Ian in Vicki's place, sleeping incredibly close to Barbara. The two insomniacs closed the door quickly and quietly, both trying to hold back their giggles – or, in the Doctor's case, a mildly more dignified chuckle. They shared an amused and somewhat mischievous look as they walked away, still laughing.<p>

"Well, it does seem that you'll be sleeping in Chesterton's bed tonight, my dear," He chortled, and she grinned as they went into the second bedroom. "The morning will bring interesting things indeed."

"Unless they remain ignorant," Vicki smirked, and the Doctor merely raised an eyebrow.

"Still quite possible, my dear…" He said reasonably, "Those two can be ridiculously stubborn."

* * *

><p>Ian woke from his extremely pleasant dreams to a stream of sunlight falling on him, and suddenly realised that his body was completely pressed against Barbara's, his arms around her arms and torso, his chest against her back. He tried not to panic, but worried about what she might think of him if she were to wake up at that moment. The only solution would be able to get out of the situation without waking her up. Slowly, gingerly, he began to pull his arms out from around her, and backed out of the bed. He waited, but she only stirred slightly, and he let out a breath of relief as he retreated from the room.<p>

* * *

><p>Vicki and the Doctor soon realised that Ian and Barbara had no intention of talking about the bed situation, but quickly devised a way around it, by ensuring that Vicki continued to sleep in the same room as the Doctor, leaving Ian no choice but to sleep in the same bed as Barbara, something that both teachers were secretly grateful for.<p>

And the fact that he had Ian and Barbara closer than ever before was almost definitely part of the reason the Doctor insisted on staying in Rome so long, Vicki decided.

Even if Vicki was sure that next to nothing happened in that bed anyway, due to the major stubbornness. The Doctor was right, it was rather infuriating after a while.

However, the Doctor was planning a trip to Rome, and planned to take Vicki with him, giving the 20th century humans the privacy that they needed.

* * *

><p>Barbara stared after Ian as he began grandly strutting around with his newly combed hair that made him look more Roman in his toga. He was quoting things ("Oh, Tempura…") with grand gestures and pretending to be a fine nobleman, while Barbara rolled her eyes.<p>

"Oh boy," She said to herself, as she had been the one to mention that his hair needed fixing, and the one to comb it into place, "That was a mistake."

A few minutes passed and Barbara began to get a little irritable with his grandeur antics. "Oh, Ian, do cut it out, you are a grown man, for goodness's sake!" She called out without harshness, and he came back, having cut the act, though was still grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"Do my speeches bore you, sweet lady?" The act was back as he sat down next to her, eyebrows teasing.

"Yes, they do," Barbara replied but couldn't help smiling regardless.

"Well, then you will have to feed me grapes to keep me from making them!" Ian decided, and stretched out on one of the lounges, waiting. Barbara laughed and went along with it, picking up a bunch of grapes and plopping one into his open mouth before sitting down near his head. She continued feeding him, both of them laughing in between grapes at the absurdity of it.

Ian eventually sat up and plucked the bunch of grapes from her hands that only had five grapes left on it. "I think it's my turn now." He said with a grin, and took a grape off the bunch and pressed it to her lips, which then opened and swallowed the grape whole before splitting into a grin.

Both of the travellers suddenly eyed her lips, where his fingers still rested. Their eyes briefly met before Ian moved his fingers to her jaw and pulled her towards him as he kissed her amorously. Her fingers grabbed onto his toga and pulled him closer, until she was precariously leaning backwards, in danger of falling on her back onto the roman sofa, which she did several moments later. Ian's body fell with hers, and she felt his weight press down on her pleasantly. The whole time, their lips didn't stop in their vigorous exercise.

In that moment, Ian felt very glad that Vicki and the Doctor had left for Rome. However, several minutes later, he felt rationality hit him.

Barbara felt the weight on top of her disappear along with the hands that had been roaming her back, and by the time her eyes had snapped open, Ian was on his feet, saying something as he practically ran from the room. As she stared after him, rejection washed through her in an almost suffocating wave, not for the first time, as she wondered why he kept doing this.

What had he said? 'I'm sorry'? Barbara couldn't be sure, but it bothered her greatly. Had she done something wrong? Was she being too…easy?

She realised that tears were welling up in her eyes and she hastily wiped them away before getting up and beginning to clean up the room. A decision had been made in her head. Unless Ian mentioned it first, what had just occurred had not happened. Only that was rather the problem, wasn't it? They kept crossing the line, and Ian would pull them back over it without so much as an explanation. It was going to ruin her, she was sure.

When he eventually returned, neither of them mentioned what had happened half an hour prior and simply slipped back into their old demeanours of being incredibly friendly and comfortable with each other. An outsider wouldn't have known anything had occurred.

They sat back, both drinking the wine decadently and laughing as they made pointless but entertaining small talk. Both were so relaxed and content that when the conversation slipped away into a strangely comfortable silence, neither were bothered in the slightest.

* * *

><p>Barbara stopped fighting the chains that bound her to the cart as something close to grim acceptance washed through her. The guilt was eating at her; if she hadn't been so careless when she and Ian were attacked by the two men that had brought them to where they were now, perhaps she wouldn't have accidentally hit Ian with the vase, destroying their chances of winning the struggle. It was all her fault that they were now being held as slaves to be sold.<p>

Ian's talk of escape barely registered in her mind. He wasn't a historian as she was; she knew how the Romans treated their slaves and how few of them escaped. She was quick to tell him of this but he couldn't be swayed. However, when the man who had been interested in buying her (only to be told that she was to be auctioned in Rome) came out of the tent along with the two slave traders, she became alert, watching as he picked two men out and then regarded the group of slaves again. Much to her dread, his gaze fell on Ian and did not venture any further.

"And him."

Those two simple words seemed to cut off the one lifeline Barbara still had and she felt her heart begin to tear into two as hopelessness and mild hysteria began to engulf her. While Ian's bonds were being cut from the cart, he whispered that he would try and find her once they were in Rome, but Barbara's hopes were hard to raise. She stared after him, pulling on her chains with renewed fervour as she called his name out with increasing desperation.

"Ian! _Ian! IAN!_"

Distraught and defeated, Barbara felt her body slump as she leant against the cart and felt tears pricking her eyes and running down her cheeks.

* * *

><p>Barbara sat in the throne-like chair next to Emperor Nero and tried to tune out his words as he talked to the Arena guard of a plan to set lions on a man who sounded to Barbara like an innocent musician who just happened to outshine Nero himself. She not for the first time wondered why it had to be that the Emperor of Rome had decided to have an obsession with her, and hoped that she would be able to spurn his amorous advances on her until she was able to escape.<p>

Looking away, her reluctant gaze fell on the two gladiators who were about to fight for their 'entertainment'. The face of one caused her heart to skip a beat, and his name slipped from her lips in a shocked whisper.

"Ian!" His handsome yet rugged face turned to look at her with as much surprise as she felt, but he did not have time to reply before the Arena guard approached both gladiators and Nero commanded them to fight.

Torn between elation at seeing him again and increasing worry as she watched him cross blades with the other slave, Barbara watched the duel with a sick feeling in her stomach, flinching every time a blade came close to Ian. One time, the Englishman had a chance to kill his opponent, but did not, something that Nero was quick to point out and urge on the fight to the death. Suddenly, the tables turned and Ian was crouched on the ground, Delos's blade at his neck.

"Kill him!" Nero crowed excitedly, and as the blade raised Barbara let out an exclamation of terror. However, she was lucky, as Delos seemed to have a change of heart and he went to attack Nero, though Nero's guards rendered the attempt unsuccessful. It didn't matter to Barbara in the slightest; Ian had escaped, but not before promising to find her.

And so many hours later, Barbara waited in a side room anxiously as she wondered whether Tavius had been able to smuggle Ian into the palace like they had planned. What if he had been caught?

"Barbara!"

She turned when she heard the familiar voice and saw Ian waiting in the doorway, Tavius behind him. She had never been so glad to see him in her life, he looked so handsome in his Roman garb, and his hair was properly mussed in a way that she approved of. Barbara ran to him and they hugged briefly, though Barbara wished that she could hold onto him forever. She simply savoured the brief moment where they were holding each other and relished his touch while wishing for more. But she knew that if she had any hope of escaping they would have to act now.

She reluctantly – though did not show it – let go of Ian, and Tavius handed her a travelling cloak. The two British people set out to escape from the Roman palace, tired of being slaves and gladiators, and simply wanting to see the Doctor and Vicki again.

* * *

><p>It was a quiet walk back to their bedrooms on the TARDIS for Barbara and Ian after coming inside after fighting Animus and the Zarbi alongside the Menoptera. A strange silence had settled between them which neither of them dared to break, and Barbara found it ironic that the time when they had so much they needed to sort and discuss would be the time when they suddenly had nothing to talk about. She would have continued to ponder thoughts along a similar line had the TARDIS not jolted suddenly and tilted at such an angle that she and Ian were flung against the wall of the TARDIS.<p>

Barbara let out a quiet groan as she tried to shift the weight pressing down on her before realising that it was Ian and freezing up. Ian stared into her eyes with a strange kind of shock, but she could see that he was just as aware as she was of the extremely pleasant way their bodies were pressed together. A battle was being fought behind his eyes, she could see it, but he jumped back abruptly, his face flushed and eyes embarrassed.

"I'm sorry, Barbara, I-" His apology did not reach Barbara's ears because something in her mind had snapped and she was determined to get an answer once and for all.

"Oh, Ian, stop it!" She cried, eyes shining with hurt and an emotion close to betrayal. He eyed her warily and was obviously choosing his words with great care.

"Stop what?"

"Running away and leaving me alone and confused!" Barbara said, choking on her words as she stared at him earnestly. "Stop pretending that these things don't happen, and stop ruining everything!" Her voice had risen to a volume and intensity that she hadn't planned on, and she took a few calming breaths as she watched him interpret her words. When he said nothing, she said a quiet sentence that she had hoped she would never have to utter. "Either tell me that you feel something for me that is more than friendship, or tell me that you don't. I will not be left dangling any longer, Ian, simply because you cannot make up your mind!"

Ian stared at her for several moments before glancing over his shoulder in the direction of the console room. He looked at her almost sheepishly. "Not to seem as though I am avoiding the question, but I would rather that this is one conversation that the Doctor and Vicki _not _overhear. Shall we?" He opened his door and gestured inside, and she hesitantly entered, noting how he followed her through while briefly placing his hand on the small of her back. He shut the door and slowly turned to face her, his face again troubled and unsure as he gazed upon her.

"I need an answer, Ian." Barbara said simply. "I'm a big girl, I can take what you have to say to me, but I need to _hear it._"

"It doesn't matter, Barbara, if you don't feel that way I _can _keep it to myself, what else do you think I've been doing since I met you?" Ian's reply caused shock and hope to run through her heart and she took a step towards him.

"Oh, but Ian, can't you see that I do feel that way?" She answered earnestly, and the shock on his face brought a silence to the air as she waited for him to say something or show enough emotion on his face for her to be able to read it.

Slowly, in a few seconds that seemed to stretch into an eternity, his face broke into a unsure but wide smile. Relief began to spread through her as her hopes began to take wing.

"For how long?" Ian inquired with a light curiosity as he took another couple of steps towards her, closing the gap between them to less than two metres.

Barbara paused as she thought about his question, but could not come up with an answer that could suffice. "I'm…I'm not nearly sure…" Her feet were moving of their own accord, she and Ian were less than a foot from each other by the time she gathered her words, though she blushed slightly before uttering them as she looked up at him from under her lashes. "I can't remember how it feels to not be in love with you." Ian gently grabbed her upper arms and used them to lever her closer still.

"You're in love with me?" He asked softly, and she nodded with a strange shyness.

"Yes."

Upon hearing that one word, Ian's fingers tightened slightly on her arms as he leaned down and kissed her more gently and more tenderly than he ever had before. It was perfect, and Barbara felt her heart soar through clouds of bliss as it seemed that it was flying home…to Ian.

When he finally pulled away, he gazed down at her with unabashed adoration in his eyes that shocked her, and uttered, "That should have been our first kiss. Forgive me for all the others?"

Barbara shook her head as she grinned. "Never." She then went about kissing him again, this time with more vigour than he had used, and this time it continued to climb. Lost in the moment, Barbara's fingers pulled at his hair while his hands had hooked around her waist and were playing with the back of her jumper, and slowly pushing it upwards, caressing the bare skin that lay beneath as he went. His movements were hesitant and when she did the opposite of protest, he did the gentleman-like thing and asked for permission, of sorts.

"Now, as what we're doing is, er, somewhat…unconventional, know that you can simply say the word at any time." He said with a slight stammer, and Barbara smiled.

"I know," She whispered before again drawing his lips to hers, and there were no more words for several minutes as more touching and kissing occurred and more clothing became slightly out of place. Somehow, they had ended up so that Barbara was sitting on the bed with Ian hovering over her, her jumper and shirt pushed up above her navel and Ian's hands cupping her face as he continued to kiss her deeply. Neither of them were quite sure what had happened to their shoes.

Barbara gently pressed her fingers against Ian's jaw so as to pull him away long enough to be able to speak the few words she needed.

"Ian..." She breathed, her breath practically touching his lips, their faces were so close as he stared at her with an intense gaze, waiting. "Do you love me?"

His lips spread wide as he smiled with joy and nodded slightly. "I've fancied you from the moment I met you. And since then I've seen the person you are. Of course I do."

"Then show me," Her request was met with another smile.

"Are you sure?" The endearing frown that so often graced his face had appeared, and she smiled.

"I'm never been more sure of anything in my whole life," Barbara said with quiet certainty that convinced him, as he felt his heart inflate.

"I'm glad of it, Miss Wright, as I've been waiting for you to ask me that for rather a long time," Ian said, kissing her again as two sets of hands got to work on unbuttoning his shirt. The two of them fell back on the single bed in Ian's bedroom and never once stopped seeing each other in an iridescent, loving aura as they proceeded to show each other the feelings they had been keeping inside far too long.

* * *

><p>Barbara slowly became aware of the muscular body embracing hers as she woke up and opened her eye, tilting her head to see Ian's still sleeping form behind her, his handsome face peaceful and content. She smiled to herself quietly as she nuzzled back against his chest and closed her eyes once more. It wasn't as if she could do anything else; the single bed didn't leave much room in it for a second person.<p>

After a while, she could feel his body stretching subconsciously as the sleep fell away from him. She couldn't resist saying something because the chance to talk to him was overwhelming.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," She said to him with a grin that he couldn't see, and she felt him start in surprise before chuckling and pressing a kiss to her shoulder.

"It probably is…if we were somewhere and not on a spaceship," He replied. She turned to face him, elbow propping her up on the pillow so that she could simply take him in.

"I hope you're not going to run away from me again," Barbara said wryly, and he gave her a broad smile.

"No more running, I promise," He traced her arm with his fingertips. There was a short but comfortable silence before she asked a question similar to her previous statement.

"So this is…how it's going to be now?" She inquired, and he raised his eyebrows while his lips twitched with slight amusement.

"Well, I'm hoping so!" They both chuckled, and she relaxed as they did so, a slightly embarrassed smile edging around her mouth. "Now…what do you suppose we do?"

"Well, the way I see it, we have two options," Barbara replied before continuing under Ian's quizzical eyebrow, "Either we stay here for a while longer, or we get dressed and see what the Doctor and Vicki are up to."

Ian kept his eyebrow raised, amused. "Oh really? And which option are you vouching for, Miss Wright?"

"Well," Barbara's eyes sparkled with mirth, "I do admit that the first option sounds more attractive." Ian laughed and it seemed that the decision didn't go any further than that.

* * *

><p>When the two schoolteachers finally came out of Ian's bedroom they smiled at each other in an almost shy manner and Ian gave Barbara a supportive and loving squeeze around the shoulders as they walked in the direction of the kitchen where they were likely to find Vicki and the Doctor. Sure enough, upon entering the room they saw Vicki at one of the counters happily spreading banana and peanut butter onto a strange looking piece of toast, and the Doctor sitting at the dining table with what looked like a small bowl full of the cubes from the food machine. It surprised neither of them that he preferred to eat that way.<p>

Ian crossed to the cupboards before looking back to Barbara. "Cereal?" He asked.

"Yes, please." She replied, and the Doctor finally acknowledged their presence.

"Oh, there you two are! We were wondering what you two had been getting up to!" The old man said offhandedly, and Barbara felt her face turn bright red as she shot a worried glance at Ian, who had momentarily frozen before expertly 'playing it cool'.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Ian joked conversationally as he brought the two bowls of cereal to the table. Barbara and Vicki followed, Barbara automatically sitting by Ian while Vicki unsurprising gravitated towards the Doctor.

"Simply that the two of you seem to spend all of your time sleeping, my dear boy! Honestly, you humans waste half of your life in those beds of yours." He said matter-of-factly as he popped another cube of food into his mouth. Ian and Barbara didn't know whether to be offended or not.

"What about Vicki? She's human too," Barbara tried to remind him, but the Doctor simply ruffled himself and shook his head.

"Human she may be, my dear, but she is intelligent enough to cut down on her sleep so as to more constructively use her time!" He argued as he waggled his finger at her before shooting a proud glance at the young teenager who was eating her toast and listening intently.

Ian raised an eyebrow. "Doing what?"

Vicki shrugged, and the Doctor answered for her. "Helping me accomplish tasks that are long overdue, and not able to complete myself. Why, only recently, she has been helping me try to push the two of-" He broke off suddenly just as Vicki froze, seemingly alarmed, as she had thought he was about to divulge something. "Oh, never you mind, Chatterfield, never you mind." He went back to his food while Vicki calmed, realising no information had been shared. Ian and Barbara shared a very confused look while Vicki stared at her plate and tried to wipe the mischievous grin off her face.

The rest of breakfast progressed normally, until Vicki spotted something that no one else had.

"Barbara," She piped up, "Are you missing a button on your shirt?" The girl's eyes rested on the gap where a button should have been. Barbara looked down and frowned, realising that Vicki was right.

"It seems I have…no matter, I'll simply find it and sew it back on," The woman shrugged as she got up from the table to put her bowl in the kitchen's dishwasher (a device she was still getting used to).

"Ah, sewing…such an interesting pastime," Ian sighed, teasing, and she threw a dishtowel at him and his smug grin.

"Shut it, you," She said with half-hearted irritation, "That button's removal was your doing, not mine." The words were out before she had thought about them properly, and Ian began to choke on his food at the unexpectedness of them. Vicki's eyes widened before her face broke out into a huge grin, while the Doctor looked up abruptly, eyes darting between them as he tried to assess the situation. Before he could react, however, Barbara had realised what she said and fled from the room. Ian stared after her worriedly before turning on the Doctor and Vicki. The Doctor spoke first, however.

"Now, Chesterton, do go and find Miss Wright before she becomes too distressed. There's a good chap." With that, he went back to his tea. Vicki nudged Ian's arm.

"You heard the Doctor. Go after her!" She insisted, and Ian nodded before getting up and leaving, thoroughly confused and not sure what to make of their reactions at all. But he didn't leave before he happened to hear what they said next after thinking that he was gone. Their words explained their actions a little more.

"_Finally!" _Came Vicki's relieved voice, and he paused in his footsteps, confused. "It took them long enough, didn't it? I was starting to think that they were never going to get together!" A small laugh followed.

"That makes two of us, my child…yes, I am very glad that nonsense is over with. Goodness knows the two of them could use it." The Doctor's voice replied.

Ian was struck between shock and amusement, and set off, shaking his head as he tried to find Barbara. Eventually he found her in the library, and when she turned to look at him he could see that she was still embarrassed.

"Oh, Ian, I'm sorry I blurted that out, it was so stupid of me…" She began, but he held a finger to her lips.

"Barbara…everything's fine," He assured her, "More than fine, those two seem to be relieved! I think they've been waiting for this to happen longer than we have!"

"Really?" Barbara's confusion was obvious, but quickly changed to a form of amusement as she grinned fondly. "Those time-travelling gossips…goodness knows, I should have guessed the Doctor would be like that." She paused. "Was it really that obvious, do you think?"

Ian considered her question but came up short. "Maybe," He shrugged, "I suppose we'll never know just how oblivious we were." Barbara laughed and was quick to steal a fleeting kiss.

"Come on," She said, "Let's see where the Doctor has landed us this time."

* * *

><p>Barbara stared at the Dalek time machine in front of her and Ian while the Doctor and Vicki strolled into its dimensionally transcendental depths in good spirits. All at once, the most ridiculous yet wonderful notion occurred to her, one that made her heart soar with hope. The first thing she did, her reflex, was turn Ian with a barely contained breathless smile.<p>

"Ian…" She said as she stared at him with eyes brimming with new aspiration, "Do you realise, we could get home?"

"Home…." Ian's eyes and voice were incredibly far away as he said the welcoming word, "Yes…" His eyes darted to Barbara, gently inquiring. "Do you want to?"

Barbara gave an almost unperceivable nod. "Yes. I'd…never realised it before." This was true. Travelling with the Doctor was such an intense and on-going thing, that despite the constant surprises, it was easy to let the travelling become routine and forget about the 20th century London that they had left behind, their old lives and home. But now that there was a beckoning chance before their very eyes, the thought was quite impossible to displace.

"Neither did I," Ian speculated, "We may never get another chance." After all, the Doctor was never going to get them home, every place the TARDIS materialised was as random as the one before, despite what the old man claimed, he had no control over the machine's destinations.

"Do you think we could work it?"

"Would the Doctor take us?" Ian's question was finally grasping the magnitude of the situation and the dawning truth of the fact that they really did have a chance at getting back to their own time.

Barbara bit her lip excitedly as she glanced over her shoulder at the entrance to the ship. "Let's ask him." She grabbed his hand with a grin and pulled him with her into the time machine.

Once they mentioned it to the Doctor, however, the old man exploded with fury. The blatant refusal and the arguments against it led to an exchange of barbs dangerously close to insults. Barbara and Ian realised that he was only refusing because he was not willing to let them risk their lives by travelling in such a machine - _'You'll end up as a couple of burnt cinders floating around in Spain – in space!'_ - , but they were still insistent on going, something that the Doctor could not otherwise convince them of. They watched him from some distance away, muttering ideas. Their words fell away as Vicki approached the Doctor, her words too quiet for them to hear. The Doctor was far less aggressive with her, merely his usual stubborn crankiness.

Finally, he turned and approached them once more. The moments it took for him to take the few strides seemed to stretch into an eternity for the two schoolteachers. They had no way of knowing what was going on in his head as they waited anxiously for him to speak.

"Do you both realise the enormous risks?" He asked solemnly, and they both nodded.

"We do. We still want to go," Ian replied with steadfast certainty.

"Please, Doctor," added Barbara.

"Very well, follow me," The Doctor conceded reluctantly, but stopped and pointed his finger at them with purpose, "But you must follow my instructions implicitly, do you understand? _Implicitly!"_ He took a deep breath. "You will both have about a fifty-fifty chance. Follow me, come along."

The four of them went inside the time machine, and once the Doctor was satisfied that Ian and Barbara knew what they were doing, it was suddenly time for goodbyes. There wasn't really the atmosphere for anything tearful or cheerful, the knowledge that there was a very high chance of one or neither of them not making it out of the capsule alive at the other end.

They both hugged the teenage girl fondly, Barbara especially holding on for a few more precious seconds. Vicki smiled bravely, clearly concerned but determined not to show it or make a fuss. After all, it was she who had miraculously – they were still not sure how she had done it – managed to get the Doctor to change his mind in assisting them in their quest to get home. Ian had to admire her for it; he knew how impossibly stubborn the Doctor was when his mind was made up.

"Goodbye, Vicki," Barbara said, trying not to sound too sad, "We'll miss you. Look after him, and be careful." She shot a reproachful look at the Doctor. "Both of you."

The Doctor bristled slightly. "I assure you, my dear, it's not we who you should be worried about," He said gruffly, and the four of them fell silent.

Barbara looked at him with sad eyes. "Doctor, don't let us part on bad terms, please." Her voice was quiet yet earnest, and it hit him. The Doctor looked at the floor and said nothing. "Goodbye, Doctor." He looked up, but was taken aback when Barbara hugged him gently. It was something that she had never really done before, but nonetheless he hesitantly wrapped his arms around her and patted her back. She pulled away and kissed his cheek. "Thank you. For everything. For showing us the universe, and showing us things about ourselves."

The Doctor didn't reply immediately, but for the first time not because he was stubbornly refusing to, but because he was unsure of what to say. It wasn't in his nature to show his emotions blatantly, but it would be cold even for him to not have some kind of parting words. Eventually, he settled on something simple but heartfelt.

"Thank _you, _my dear." Part of him felt as though it wasn't enough, but the look in Barbara's eyes told him that she understood. It was unsurprising; she had always had an uncanny ability to read him, an ability which until now he had always disliked.

Ian came forward and shook the Doctor's hand firmly. "Thank you for everything, Doctor. We owe a lot to you." With those words he eyed Barbara with obvious tenderness. The Doctor was not oblivious to this and looked somewhat satisfied with himself. He began to instruct Ian and Barbara on how to operate the Dalek Time Machine, something that took a long time due to the advanced technology and the complexity of the controls. After all, for all their intelligence, Ian and Barbara were still only human, and therefore had trouble grasping the concept of piloting a vehicle through the 4th and 5th dimensions. Eventually, however, the Doctor was satisfied and a final round of hugs ensued. If anyone shed any tears, no one mentioned it.

Ian and Barbara stared after the retreating backs of their friends with heavy hearts laden with loss and anticipation. No matter what happened next it was almost certain that they would never see the Doctor or Vicki again. The moment that they were gone, Barbara found herself wrapped in Ian's arms in a crushing hug. She leaned into it and they simply stayed like that for a half a minute before Ian spoke.

"I've decided that with our ability to escape from any danger the Doctor dragged us into, we must be two rather lucky people." He looked down at her with an optimistic smile. She pretended to not see the worry behind it. "Let's hope our luck continues, eh?"

"Yes," Barbara agreed quietly as she stared at him. Ian leant his forehead against hers gently and they both reflexively closed their eyes.

"Barbara…in case one of us doesn't make it, I-"

"Ian, don't say that," She whispered, only for him to place his fingers over her mouth and continue.

"I just wanted to say that you are brilliant and amazing, and I love you more than anything." Barbara's eyes snapped open at the almost exact time that Ian's did.

She paused and took a deep breath. "I…I love you too, Ian, you know that. You're brave and wonderful, and I don't know what I would do without you." Barbara answered, not able to hold his eyes the entire time. Ian smiled the encouraging smile that she loved so much as he clasped her hands tightly.

"Let's hope that we don't have to find out, eh?" Ian's words made Barbara force a brave smile which she didn't have to hold for long because he chose that moment to dip his head down to hers. Their kiss was brief but lingering because they both knew that when it was over, they would have to take their leap of faith, one that could just as easily end in tragedy as it could victory. They stood completely still, eyes locked and hands entwined. By a silent mutual signal, both broke the gaze instantaneously and turned to face the various controls, both suddenly too busy concentrating to spend time worrying.

* * *

><p>Barbara found herself clinging to Ian's chest, head tucked against him as the rest of his body shielded her in its natural protective stance. Slowly, gingerly, she lifted her eyes and unhooked her chin from where it had been locked down instinctively. She could feel Ian doing the same.<p>

Suddenly a wonderful revelation hit her, one she had momentarily forgotten about.

They were alive. Yes, they could be anywhere in space and time, possibly light years away from Earth, or centuries away from their own time, but in those few seconds it didn't matter because at least they still existed.

"We're alive," Barbara said to Ian breathlessly and watched him grin as he absorbed the knowledge. "Do you think that we made it?" They were gradually lifting themselves from where they had been crouched on the floor as the time machine had made worrying noises all around them.

Ian's hands briefly tightened around her arms as he cast a wary yet inexplicitly curious look at the door. "I suppose that we'll have to find out." He let go of her and slowly made for exit. "Stay here," His instruction made Barbara stop and let him go ahead, she lingered near the exit of the machine with almost unbearable anxiety.

When she heard no noises that would suggest any problems with the world outside, Barbara was quick to follow Ian out of the capsule. She exited it and found the door in front of her opening from the outside, and she was being pulled into the light of day by Ian, who looked tremendously excited.

"Barbara, we made it!" He said happily as he gestured all around them. Barbara saw a street that had a definite London feel to it, littered with parked cars and road signs.

"I don't believe it!" She exclaimed as she took it in. Despite what she said, the sight was unmistakable as her home, the idea of it was simply too surreal to fit in her head immediately.

"London, 1965!" Ian said surely, and while his words were incredible welcome – a warm feeling was being to spread through her chest – there was one flaw in them.

"Hey, we're two years out!" The thought was strange but not necessarily bad; after all, it was so close to her own time that she couldn't bring herself to care.

Ian didn't seem the slightest bit bothered by the time difference, his glee was insatiable, something that soon began to infect her. "Oh, what's two years amongst friends?" He said offhandedly, grinning from ear to ear, "We're home!" He grabbed her upper arms and pulled her towards him to place an excited kiss on her cheek. She couldn't help but giggle. "I'll just go and press that button." He darted inside the shed and a beeping noise began to ring through the air. She had barely registered his return before he was shouting 'run!' and they were both making a dash across the street for cover. An explosion rang through their ears and she found herself again partially sheltering against Ian as she covered her ears, for no reason other than it was easy and somewhat enjoyable. Ian gazed over at the site of the explosion – and their landing – with satisfaction. "Well, that's put paid to the Dalek's time travelling for a while."

"It'll give the Doctor a breather, anyway," Barbara agreed.

"Yes…" Ian smiled as he turned his eyes to the sky with a question in them. "I wonder where he is right now…"

Barbara was struck by an urge to call out, in case the Doctor was watching them. "Hey, Doctor, wherever you are-"

Ian cut across her. "Shh! There's someone coming!"

"It was fun, Doctor, thanks for the ride!" Barbara said to the sky, quickly. Ian followed her lead.

"It was fun, Doctor, goodbye!"

With that, both of them dashed off, only to become very jolly and silly as they reacquainted themselves with their city. And later that day, they were unaware that their two friends were watching them as they burst into laughter on a London bus.

* * *

><p>Millions of light years and hundreds of years away, the Doctor and Vicki watched the two teachers on the Time-Space visualizer, watching as Ian and Barbara laughed until they were almost in tears. Vicki was struck by the urge to jump for joy now that she knew they were safe.<p>

"Oh Doctor, they made it, they made it!" She hugged his middle happily, but he acted almost as though she wasn't there. Stiffly waiting for her to let go, he then strode a few paces away from her as a contemplative look crossed his face.

"I shall miss them," He said simply as he voiced what he had not been able to before, "Yes, I shall miss them." He looked down, thinking about his now absent friends. "Silly old fusspots," His voice was quiet yet strangely fond as he said the words. He felt Vicki come up behind him, and he put his arm around her as they walked away in the direction of the console room. "Come along, my dear, it's time we were off."

And they walked away, and in leaving the room it felt as though they were leaving Ian and Barbara behind with it.

* * *

><p>Ian and Barbara lingered on the doorstep of the house in front of them nervously as they waited for the occupants to answer the doorbell. The house was not a particularly impressive one, but it was not shabby either, and Barbara in particular was nervous about entering.<p>

After realising that being gone for two years would have alarmed their families considerably, the two had quickly decided to visit their families immediately so as to assert their wellbeing. Ian's brother's house was closest, and Barbara was staying with him so as to provide support for the interrogation that was sure to ensue. They had worked out a story of sorts, but whether anyone would believe it was another matter.

Suddenly, the door swung open to reveal Ian's brother, Michael. He had a noticeable family resemblance to Ian, though Michael was a little older, and Barbara's opinion, slightly less handsome than his younger brother.

Michael's mouth practically fell open with the amount of shock that had clearly taken over him. "Ian?" He seemed as though he couldn't believe what he was seeing.

Ian grinned. "You haven't forgotten me, I hope?" His brother merely shook his head mutely before attacking Ian in a bear hug so large that he stumbled back a little.

"Where the hell have you been?" Michael asked while laughing for joy, "We were starting to think that you were dead!"

"Well, I assure you that I'm very much alive, clearly," The history teacher assured his sibling with a grin. Already, his brother had pulled away and was now eyeing Barbara quizzically.

"Who's this then?" Michael asked with curiosity. Ian coughed and took a step back.

"Yes, sorry, er, this is a good friend of mine, Miss Barbara Wright. Barbara, this is my brother Michael." Ian watched as Barbara stepped forward and shook Michael's hand.

"It's very nice to meet you," She said with a smile.

"Likewise." He looked at Ian expectantly. "Is she the reason that we've not seen or heard from you for two years?"

Ian smiled, expecting the question and ready for it. "No, she's in the same boat as me. May we come in? This could take a little while to explain."

Michael led them through the narrow hallway lined with tasteful artwork and décor before directing them into the small yet homely living room, where a long couch and a singular chair sat on an angle from one another opposite a fireplace and television set. Once inside and sitting side-by-side on the couch, Ian and Barbara launched into the story that they had come up with on the bus.

One of their pupils, Susan Foreman, had a stubborn old Grandfather and he had decided to show Susan the world by travelling with her for two years around it. However, not wanting to neglect her education, he hired Ian and Barbara as science and history teachers respectively, to privately tutor her as they travelled.

Despite the obvious flaws in the story, Ian and Barbara managed to somewhat answer questions such as 'But why didn't you tell us that you were leaving?' and 'Why didn't you write?' with answers concerning 'Doctor Foreman's' insistence on leaving immediately, and the fact that they never stayed in one place long enough to write.

After talking for nearly twenty minutes, the two ex-teachers knew that it was time to move on. "Well, I'm afraid, Michael, that we really must be going now." Ian said as he and Barbara got up from their chairs.

"Where? You're not getting away from me already!" Michael protested as he also stood, eyes locked with Ian's.

"Michael, my family has gone for the same amount of time without knowing my whereabouts as you have without knowing Ian's," Barbara said earnestly as her eyes flicked between the two Chesterton men, "They have the right to know that I'm safe."

She could see in Michael's eyes for a second that he understood, but then he turned to Ian.

"But Ian can stay, surely?"

Ian glanced at Barbara and shook his head as she began to explain.

"Michael, you seem to be a rather open-minded man, and even you barely believe our story. I admit that it is somewhat a ridiculous one, and realise that if I'm going to convince my parents, I need Ian with me." Her dark eyes bored into Michael's, and eventually he sighed in resignation.

"Fine…but don't think that you won't be coming back very soon, Ian…I want to hear about the places you've been!"

Ian chuckled as he led Barbara to the door. "I'll keep that in mind, Michael. Goodbye!" The two teachers let out a synchronised breath of relief as they began to walk away from the house they had just been in.

"Well, I can't say that I look forward to another round of that," Ian said with a frown, but Barbara smiled in such a way that that he soon had to respond in kind.

"Oh, you just don't like the idea of meeting my parents," She chided him with an amused laugh.

"That too," He admitted with a cheeky grin as they got into his car. After news of his disappearance had gotten out, Ian's car had been transferred from the junkyard where it had been left to the possession of his brother. Now, he could take it back, having been given the keys by Michael.

* * *

><p>After explaining things to Barbara's parents, Ian was struck with an extremely troubling thought while they were still at the house.<p>

"Barbara, where are we going to live? I doubt either of our landlords would have keep our flats open for us without 2 years of pay…and our credit cards would have expired, and there's not enough cash between us for a hotel…" Ian asked when he managed to corner Barbara after her parents had gone into the kitchen. Barbara looked unperturbed.

"Oh, don't worry, I'd already thought of that. Come on, I've got to make a phone call," She took his hand and led him into the hall, were the phone sat on the small table.

"Why? What's your plan?" He inquired as her fingers dialled the numbers.

"My sister lives in the country…she has a spare room that would be more than adequate," She explained before holding her hand when he tried to say something, and she lifted the phone to her ear. He waited somewhat impatiently as she assured her sister of her safety and then made plans for the two of them to stay with them for a while. When she finally hung up, he wasted no time in picking up their conversation from where it had been cut off.

"Are you sure, Barbara? I thought that we were going to wait to tell people about…about us," He paused awkwardly but Barbara only chuckled and shook her head.

"Yes, we are, naturally…but this is my sister, Ian, she's practically my best friend…she won't spread it around. You'll take to each other, I promise." Barbara grinned in reassurance. Ian was convinced by her enchanting smile and logical words and let himself smile too.

"Alright then," He agreed, "Though I wonder how you knew that I don't have any intention of letting you out of my sight ever again?" He was closer to her now, and she ducked her head slightly as she laughed.

"Because I was thinking exactly the same thing," She replied and Ian grinned.

"Well, that works out nicely, then," He said before pressing a quick kiss to the side of her mouth. Despite the urge to pull her into his arms that he fought against whenever he was around her, which was always, he forced himself to pull away when he heard the door from the kitchen opening. He was not going to be caught like a schoolboy by Barbara's parents today, that was for sure.

* * *

><p>Ian stood a little way back as Barbara rang the doorbell of her sister's house. He would never admit it to Barbara but he was nervous at the idea of meeting her sister, or rather, the idea of knowing her sister when her sister either knew or soon would know about he and Barbara being a couple. He'd never been this nervous in any of his past relationships, but perhaps knowing how certain he was about his feelings for Barbara was making him overly anxious not to mess up what he had.<p>

The door opened and a woman who was almost identical to Barbara opened the door. She grinned at her sister before hugging her fiercely, laughing with what was obviously relief.

"What's taken you so long, you mad woman?" She said as she let go of Barbara. "I was beside myself when you phoned…now, are you going to introduce us?" Her gaze had fallen upon Ian with an excitable glint in her eyes, and Barbara rolled her eyes as if she had expected as much from her sister.

"Clara, this is my friend Ian…Ian, this is my younger sister Clara," She said and watched as the two shook hands.

"It's nice to meet you," Ian said with a charming smile. Looking at her directly, he began to see the differences between the two sisters. Their facial features were similar in an almot eerie way, but Clara's face was younger and her long, rich locks of hair were very different from Barbara's short hairstyle.

"Likewise…" Clara grinned back at him cheerily. "Come on in then, you two."

Ian and Barbara picked up their very small bags of luggage and came inside. They had managed to find out where their belongings had been put and tracked them down to different storage lockers. They had only been able to grab a few sets of clothes, but it was enough for now.

They had barely gotten through the hallway when a solidly built fair-haired man who was clearly Clara's husband came into view. He was quick to kiss Barbara on the cheek fondly.

"There you are, Barbara, here to save me from your sister at last, are you?" He teased and she just laughed.

"Not this time, Dave," She replied wryly. "This is my friend Ian."

"More than just a friend, from what I've heard…" Dave said with a suggestive grin as he looked between them slyly, "Or is he going to be sleeping on the _floor _of the guest room?"

Barbara's eyes widened in mortified embarrassment and she looked at Ian, who was wearing a similar expression. She gathered her wits so that she could be able to answer after playfully hitting Dave on the arm.

"No, he _won't _be sleeping on the floor, but that's quite enough of that, thank you very much," Barbara told him loftily, but was unable to keep a somewhat amused smile off of her face.

"Behave, Dave," Clara warned her husband before directing Barbara and Ian to the guest room. "Now, it's late, I suggest that the two of you get to sleep…the children are already in bed, you can see them in the morning."

Goodnights were said and finally Ian and Barbara were alone in their room that Clara and Dave had so kindly offered them. Ian sat on the bed before looking at Barbara inquiringly. "Children?" He raised an eyebrow in question and she nodded.

"Yes, they…goodness, Ella must be five now…she was only three last time I saw her…and then there's Danny, he's, wow, he must be nearly three…I've missed so much." Barbara recalled, and looked a little forlorn as she realised how much of her niece and nephew's childhood she had missed in the two years.

"I look forward to meeting them," Ian said with a gentle smile. "But as Clara said…in the morning."

"Yes…I suppose sleep should be the first priority…possibly," Barbara said slyly as she came over to where he was sitting on the edge of the bed and put her legs either side of his, wrapping her arms around his neck.

"How about _second _priority?" Ian offered with a cheeky grin as his hands moved to her hips. One of them slid down to where her skirt ended on her leg.

"I believe we have a deal," Barbara agreed. Ian's hand was slowly inching its way up her leg, and she observed it with amusement before meeting his eyes with a mischievous glint in her own. "Mr Chesterton, you have your hand up my skirt."

"That I do," He replied as casually as if they were discussing the weather, "Problem?" His teasing made her grin as her face got even closer to his.

"Not at all…though I believe that it's your cue to kiss me now."

Ian grinned her favourite smile and did as he was told.

* * *

><p>When Barbara woke that morning, her first thought was that she had a strange amount of room in the bed. Had Ian's single bed magically become larger? It took a minute for the memories of the previous day to come back to her; she was no longer in the TARDIS, but back in her own time, with Ian. And at her sister's house.<p>

She lowered her head back down to Ian's chest and stared at the unfamiliar ceiling that was so different from the white one in the TARDIS. Being back on Earth would certainly take a very long time to become used to again but at least she would not be alone in the adjustment.

Experimentally, she stretched out her body gently, and accidentally woke Ian in the progress.

"Morning," He yawned sleepily as his arms tightened around her slightly. He smiled down at her and she was quick to return the action.

"Morning…it's nice to actually be able to see the sunlight coming through the window, isn't it?" Barbara observed thoughtfully. His neck twisted so that he might be able to see what she was referring to, and he nodded as a second yawn escaped his mouth.

"Yes, very homely." He commented vaguely, and got a wonderfully attractive roll of the eyes from the woman in his arms that led to a desire to kiss her, which he fulfilled instantly. When he was done, a question occurred to him that suddenly seemed very important. "Barbara…when we were in Rome, and we somehow ended up sleeping in the same bed for a month…was that as hard for you as it was for me?"

A thoughtful expression crossed Barbara's face, her eyes briefly going out of focus as she succumbed to her memories for a few brief seconds before she formulated an answer. "Well…whenever I was half awake, I could feel you holding me. And sometimes, I thought that I could feel you touching my arm, or my neck. I didn't want to mention it in case I was just imagining it. Were you doing it, or was it just my imagination?"

Ian smiled sheepishly. "Yes, I was. I didn't meant to, but every night for an entire month, I had to sleep in the same bed as the woman that I wanted mentally, emotionally, and physically, and was supposed to do absolutely nothing about it! I was, shall we say, compensating."

"You silly man, why didn't you just give into it? You could have saved us a lot of skirting around the subject." Barbara sighed with a fond smile as she knew that he would never have done so, being too much the English gentleman.

"Because, Barbara, I am a gentleman, and was not going to squander your dignity simply because I was having problems with my self-control!" Ian said with a brief laugh. "Every night, it took every ounce of the self-control that I _did _have to not lean over and do this!" He kissed her to prove his point, and thoughts of Rome were briefly forgotten. Barbara's hand was gently holding his cheek and covering it with soft caresses with her fingers, but eventually she pulled away from him.

"We'd better get dressed and be sociable, never mind Rome," She reminded him sensibly, and Ian smirked with a knowing twinkle in his eye.

"Spoilsport," He accused with a teasing tone, but only earned himself a playful yet scolding whack on the arm from Barbara.

"Lazy," She retorted as her hands pushed against his chest, "Now get up, you big lump." He was not offended due to the large grin dominating her features, but he did as he was told and slid out of the bed. As he got dressed he was aware of Barbara's eyes watching him and checked over his shoulder to see her propped up on her elbow and still grinning. He wasn't sure whether to interpret it as a sign of incredible happiness, or whether she knew something that he didn't, and the knowledge was making her smug.

Once his trousers were on and his shirt only needed to be done up, he advanced on Barbara.

"Now who's being lazy, hm?" Ian declared loudly as he grabbed her by the arms and yanked her out of the covers. Barbara tried not to be embarrassed by her lack of clothing and resisted the urge to blush, as she knew it was completely ridiculous to worry about being unclothed in front of Ian. Regardless, she wriggled out of his grip and made a beeline for her trousers and jumper.

When both were decently dressed and about to leave the room, Barbara whispered, "Time to really come back down to Earth."

Ian kissed her forehead tenderly before flashing her a reassuring smile. "As long as you're coming back down with me." Barbara smiled back and the two of them walked out of room and back into the world of ordinary life, where they were promptly attacked by two excitable children.

* * *

><p>Six months later, when everything was settled and both teachers had settled back into their old lives despite being changed people, Ian and Barbara were walking through a local park at dusk after sharing a thoroughly enjoyable meal in a restaurant. Their arms were linked as they so often were, and both of them remembered marching across the terrain of alien planets in an identical fashion.<p>

A comfortable silence had settled between the two, but Ian felt a question pressing in his mind.

"Do you miss them? The Doctor and Vicki?" His sudden inquiry caught Barbara by surprise and caused frown lines to momentarily appear on her forehead. They disappeared immediately, however, and a slightly wistful expression took over her features.

"Of course I do," She said sadly, but with a tone of sensibility, "They were an enormous part of my life, and the two best friends I had after you. But this life is what I want. The Doctor's lifestyle is dangerous…someday, somebody travelling in that TARDIS is going to get hurt. So I don't regret my decision, if that's what you mean."

"Yes…I do worry about them. I hope that they're alright." Ian agreed, and the two shared a look of worry as they walked. "But you are content being here?"

"This is my home, Ian. This world, this time…I wouldn't trade it for a million stars or a hundred alien skies, this is my home and it always will be." Barbara said intently as she gazed up at the sky and smiled, gratified.

Ian fingered the small box in his coat pocket nervously and drew up his courage before it deserted him. "Well, er…perhaps you'd like to brave it with me? This world?"

Barbara felt herself frown in puzzlement as her eyes surveyed him in an attempt to read him the way she did with so many others. "What do you mean, Ian?"

"What I mean is…er…" Ian pulled out the box before his bravery abandoned him. "Marry me?" He shot her a sheepish grin as all other words seemed lost on him. Once again, she had rendered him speechless simply by being who she was.

Barbara froze, checking several times over that she had heard him right and then flicking her eyes between his face and the small ring in his outstretched hand. Her eyes were wide, her mouth slightly open as she tried to think of how to form the perfect response. Finally her body began to work again and she felt her lips stretch into an excited and endearing grin.

"Of course I will, you thick man!" She retorted with a scolding fondness as she kissed him with so much love and devotion that it almost staggered him. When she finally pulled away, Ian was staring at her with slightly starry eyes and an expression of the utmost relief.

"Good…yes, good…er…" He murmured with an almost giddy smile. "Well then…" He removed the ring from the box and slid the ring onto Barbara's finger. They both stared at it for several moments before Ian had wrapped her in a fierce yet surprisingly gentle hug and was pressing kisses into her hair.

"I love you, Barbara," He whispered.

"I love you too, Ian," She said with complete confidence, "I hope that I will be a good wife." Her remark made him chuckle, and they pulled apart and continued walking.

"I should think that you will be….adequate," Ian teased with a cheeky smirk, and she thumped him on the arm.

"Of all the cheek!" She exclaimed with mock indignance, "I agree to marry you and this is how you repay me?"

Ian shrugged coyly. "No…I was planning on repaying you with a house and by being a good husband, if that suits you."

"You're going to be have to be a tad more than good, Mr Chesterton, to keep up with me," Barbara said with raised eyebrows and a large grin.

"Give me time, Miss Wright, I may yet get there…"

"You had better, or you may find yourself promptly divorced within weeks."

* * *

><p>Barbara stared at herself in the mirror and blinked several times to remind herself that she was not in any way dreaming. She brushed a strand of her hair out of her face, but did not dare to fiddle with it too much, for it had been styled into the perfect position and Clara would promptly have her murdered if she were to ruin it with only minutes to go. As her arm lowered after touching her face, she gazed at the pristine white fabric that covered it and followed it down her entire body, to where the hem of the wedding dress lightly touched the ground. It was a simple dress, shaped naturally to fit her body, with long sleeves that delicately ended at her wrists, and a draping skirt that flowed off her hips and straight to the ground.<p>

Was she really about to do this? Her heart was beating so rapidly and with such force that she was sure that it would make a tear in the front of her dress, yet no such damage had occurred. Obviously, her mind was over-exaggerating things, she was merely being silly, as per usual. However, her scrambled thoughts were interrupted by the door opening behind her to reveal Clara, elegantly dressed as the Matron of Honour and heavily pregnant with child number three. Subconsciously, Barbara's fingers traced absently over her own – flat - stomach.

"Barbara?" Her sister walked in with as much speed as her pregnancy would allow and came to stand next to her. "It's time."

Barbara took a deep breath and tried to think happy thoughts, all of which seemed to be memories of Ian, and the good times they had spent on the TARDIS with the Doctor, Susan, and Vicki. "Alright. I…I think that I'm ready."

Clara smiled gently and pulled the veil over the older woman's eyes. "My big sister…you finally figured out what you needed. Good luck out there, Barbara." She kissed her forehead through the thin material before fetching the small bouquet from the nearby table and handing it to the bride. "Now you're ready."

The quiet chatter of the seated guests went in and out the ears of Ian Chesterton as he stood next to his best man and brother, waiting for his bride to appear. He had already scoured his eyes over all the guests, of course. He knew most of them, though there were a few he didn't recognise, such as the man at the back in pinstripes and outrageously untidy hair. A little too modern, in Ian's opinion. However, he was not one to judge, and at that moment, the traditional music started and Barbara was suddenly in his sights, arms linked with her father.

He had never seen her look so beautiful; she was simply glowing with happiness, happiness due to marrying him, a fact that made him so proud. She risked a glance up and he saw her give him a shy little smile. He wasn't coy about his reaction, it was his wedding day, so if he wished to beam at his wife-to-be as she approached him, he certainly would do so, and did.

The ceremony began as Ian and Barbara stood side-by-side and grinned nervously before commencing with the vows. It moved quickly, and before they knew it, it was almost done.

"Ian, do you take this woman to be your lawfully wedded wife, to have and to hold, for as long as you both shall live?" The priest's words were met by Ian's smile and a nod of his head.

"I do," He replied without taking his eyes off Barbara's face.

"And Barbara, do you take this man to be your lawfully wedded husband, to have and to hold, for as long as you both shall live?"

"Yes," Barbara replied with a breathless smile, "Yes, I definitely do."

"Then by the power vested in me, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ian, you may kiss your bride." The priest smiled and Ian stepped forward, his hands lifting the veil from his wife's face and then cupping her cheek as he kissed her gently but with just a hint of his usual cheekiness.

Cheers came from the guests while the Priest declared, "I now present to you, Mr and Mrs Chesterton."

* * *

><p>The wedding had flowed quickly into the reception and Ian and Barbara had miraculously found themselves with a few minutes alone.<p>

"So, Mrs Chesterton…" Ian said with obvious pride, "How does it feel to be married?"

"So far, wonderful…" Barbara sighed, but then looked up at him and gave him a teasing smirk. "But the day's not over yet." He chuckled and she leaned back against him, as they were standing in a shaded corner, his arms around her and resting on her stomach, which was not yet curved but soon would be, due to the child whose existence was unknown to anyone other than its parents.

"We should probably get over there and dance now," Ian suggested, but before they made it to the dance floor, they found their path blocked by a man, who Ian recognised as the one wearing pinstripes who had been sitting in the back of the seats, with his untidy brown hair.

"Hello," He beamed, "Just wanted to say congratulations. After all, marriage is such a beautiful thing, isn't it? So full of love and commitment…" His tone changed to become somewhat sly and cheeky. "And of course, the children." He eyed Barbara's stomach with amused eyes that knew too much, and the married couple shared an alarmed look.

"Now listen here, how do you-" Ian started, but the man was off again.

"Anyway, that's all I have to say, really, just…" He paused, far more serious now in his words and demeanour, and his eyes held a staggering age and intelligence. "That I'm so proud. Of both of you. Ian and Barbara Chesterton, taking the world by storm." He grinned with burning pride that only confused the newlyweds more completely. "It's never quite been the same without you. But you know how it is, got to keep moving. I've been through everyone now, just one left. Time to go and smell the roses." His smile had become one of very forced bravery, and with that, he turned to go, the sorrow and age back in his eyes.

"Wait!" Barbara cried with such urgency that he briefly stopped and turned back to them, unsurprised by the outburst. "Who are you?"

The man's eyes met hers and Barbara wanted to look away from the endless pools of melancholy, but there was something celestial about his gaze that forced her to keep staring.

"I'm a friend." He said simply before again turning around. This time they did not stop him, but both sets of eyes followed the mysterious man as he left the large room full of people.

Barbara finally managed to tear her eyes away from the door. "Ian, who was that man? He seemed strangely familiar."

"Yes, he did…still, not much to be done now, I'm afraid." Ian agreed gravely. She didn't answer immediately, and he nudged her. "Come on, everybody wants us to dance."

Barbara smiled and took his hand, letting him lead her into their first dance as a married couple, and the worried thoughts about the strangely sad man soon fell away from her mind completely. But neither of them ever truly forgot, not about the crotchety old man they had travelled with for so long, or about the mysterious stranger who had seemed so friendly and so sad at the same time.

Not once did either of them ever consider that they might be the same man.

* * *

><p><strong>So, what did you think? Were they in character? What did you think of emo!Ten visiting them at the end? Was their relationship done realistically? Quotes you liked? Things that someone did that you liked? Funny parts? <strong>

**Please let me know the answers to these questions in a review, it would mean the world. **

**Love you all, **

**-MayFairy :) **


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